Members of a local walking group are thankful to a local cyclist after a medical incident on the Cypher Systems Greenway.

The group made the local greenway their walking route last Tuesday but the intense heat took its toll on one of the members. George Conway, one of the walking group members, said they had just departed from the Thomas Road entrance to the greenway when one of the female members of the group began to feel ill.

“She was looking hot and bothered,” said Conway.

Shortly thereafter, the woman went to a seated position before falling backwards.

“None of us had a phone,” said Conway, of the six-person walking group.

Conway stated that a man on a bicycle soon approached, provided immediate assistance and called for an ambulance. Paramedics couldn’t get through the gate, Conway said, but managed to get the stretcher through an opening and attended to the woman.

“The ambulance response was very quick,” said Conway. “They did an excellent job.”

The gate at the Cypher Systems Greenway at Thomas Road was locked last Tuesday but paramedics were still able to assist a fallen woman.

The woman came around and was transported to hospital in Windsor. Conway said he was advised by ERCA that police, fire and EMS all have keys to the gate but “perhaps a bit of priority needs to be given to those keys.”

Kevin Money, director of conservation services with ERCA, confirmed that emergency personnel have all been issued keys for the Cypher Systems Greenway gates.

“From our end, we’ve provided them with keys,” said Money. “We’ll be happy to give them more keys if they need more keys. Any and all EMS services have access to the greenways.”

Conway still remained thankful to the paramedics as well as the man on the bicycle who helped out that day. He said the man on the bicycle left before anyone could get his name, but the group wants him to know they are grateful for his efforts.

The walking group meets Tuesdays in the the Dollarama parking lot at 9:30 a.m. before deciding where they want to go for the day, he added. They enjoy the Cypher Systems Greenway as “each section is a little bit different” but they use trails in other surrounding municipalities as well. In the winter, they meet at the same day and time at the Libro Centre’s indoor walking track. He said new members are welcome, adding the group has dropped from 30 members when he first joined to six.